Evening star. [volume], April 09, 1947, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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95th TEAK. No. 57,594 Phone NA. 5000. WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, ATKLb V,_ ~.wm me,.a^m-eo »
- - - 4. I
Durocher Ousted
For r47 Season
In M'Phail Feud
Dressen Suspended for
30 Dpys by Chandler;
Two Clubs Fined
3
ly **» Aisotiatod Pros*
CINCINNATI, April 9.—In an
action unprecedented in major
league baseball, Commissioner
A. B. Chandler today suspended
Leo Durocher, manager of the
Brooklyn Dodgers, for the 1947
season.
"Durocher has not measured up to
the standards expected or required
of managers of our baseball teams,"
the commissioner said in his ruling.
"As a result of the accumulated
unpleasant incidents in which he
has been involved, which the com
missioner construes as detrimental
to baseball. Manager Durocher is
hereby suspended from participat
ing in professional baseball for the
1947 season.”
Dressen Oat 30 Days.
The commissioner also announced
the following other actions as a re
sult of an investigation launched
after Larry MacPhail, general mana
ger of the New York American
League club, brought charges of
defamation against Durocher and
Branch Rickey, head of the Brooklyn
Dodgers:
Suspended Chuck Dressen, former
coach of the Dodgers and now a
member of the Yankee coaching
staff, for 30 days beginning April 15:
Fined the Brooklyn club and the
New York Yankee club $2,000 each,
and
Fined Harold Parrott, traveling
secretary of the Brooklyn team, $500
for “writing a deliberately derog
atory” newspaper article about per
sons in baseball and violating Com
missioner Chandler’s order to remain
silent after a hearing at Sarasota.
Fla.
Statement Disproved.
Evidence produced at a hearing,
♦he commissioner reported, dis
proved a statement—allegedly made
by Durocher—that two gamblers
were guests of MacPhail at a base
ball game in Havana.
The commissioner also held that
Rickey had not made such a charge.
Dressen’s suspension, it developed,
was the result of his leaving the
Dodger club to work for the
Yankees. The commissioner said he
was convinced Dressen had agreed
to remain with Rickey for two more
years, although no formal contract
had been signed.
(Durocher probably will fly West
tonight with his movie actress
wife, Laraine Day, it was learned
from an authoratlve source in
New York.
i Miss Day has passage on a
TV'A plane leaving La Guardia ,
Field at 11:30 p,m. lor-Ltk^
Angeles. Durocher, upon learning
of his suspension., was tinder
stood to have sought passage on
♦he same flight.)
Chandler's Statement.
The text of Commissioner Chand- j
ler's statement:
“On 15 March, 19*7. L. S. Mac
Phail, president of the American
League Baseball Club of New York,
Tnc., placed in the hands of the
commissioner a request for a hear
ing determine whether: (a)
Certain statements appearing in the
public press, alleged to have been
made or issued by Branch Rickey,
president, and Leo Durocher. man
ager of the Brooklyn Baseball Club,
and <b> articles appearing in thej
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, under the
by-line of Leo Durocher. were au
thentic, and whether Mr. Rickey and
the Brooklyn club might be held
responsible, and whether thetr;
publication might be considered con
duct detrimental to baseball.
“At the same time Charles Dres
sen. a coach for the American (
League Baseball Club of New York,
filed with the commissioner a pro
test against certain statements al
legedly made ‘both publicly and pri
vately’ by Mr. Rickey and Mr. Dur-|
oener.
“Newspaper report* quoted Mr.
Rickey and Mr. Durocher a* saving
that two alleged gamblers were Mac
Phail's guests at one or more ex-i
hibition games between the Yankees!
and the Dodgers in Grand Stadium,!
Havana. Cuba, on 8 and 9 March!
1947. Mr. Rickey was quoted as say-'
ing ‘apparently there are rules for
Durocher and other rules for the
rest of baseball.’
Article b Quoted.
“In the article Durocher Says' ap
pearing in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
on March. 1947. admittedly written!
by Harold Parrot there appears the
following:
“ ’He (referring to MacPhaili tried
to drive a wedge between myself and
all these things I hold dear. When
MacPhail found I couldn’t be in
duced to manage his Yankees for
any of his inducements, he resolved
to knock me and to make life as hard
as possible for me • * * but surely
people must recognise that it. is the
(Continued on Page A-19. Col. 3.)j
Rickey Not Yet Ready
To Pick New Manager
ly Atsociot*d frwi \
NEW YORK. April 9.—President
Branch Rickey of the Brooklyn
Dodgers, recovering from the first
shock of his manager's banishment
from baseball for the 1947 season,
said today he was not yet ready to
name a pilot to succeed Leo Duro
cher.
"1 have an idea who it will be, but
I can’t tell you now,” he said.
Asked if Durochers salary, re
ported to be close to $70,000 a year,
with bonuses, would be paid in the
face of his suspension. Rickey
Dodged the issue.
Rickey eliminated Dixie Walker.
Dodger outfielder, from the field of
candidates for Durocher's job.
"Walker never has been considered
tn a managerial capacity.” he said.
Either Ray Blades or Pepper Mar
tin was expected to be Rickey's
choice.'
LEO DU ROCHE R
~-AP Wirephoto.
Bushfield Charges Aid
To Stop Reds Follows
World War II Pattern
U. S. Heads for Conflict,
South Dakotan Says in
First Opposition Speech
BULLETIN
The program of aid to
Greece and Turkey to check
communism is following the
pattern that led us into World
War II, Senator Bushfield, Re
publican, of South Dakota told
the Senate today in the first
opposition speech on the is
sue. "Undoubtedly the United
States is heading once more
for a world war," Senator
Bushfield said. Senator Mar
tin. Republican, of Pennsyl- j
vania, who said he is not op
posing the Greek-Turkish pro
gram, declared the American
people should be told they
must cut down on Government
spending at home if they em
bark on financial aid to other
countries.
GREECE OPENS DRIVE to crush;
rebels in Macedonia, Thessaly. |
Page A-3j
By J. A. O'Leory
A prediction that not more
than 12 Senate votes will be
cast against aiding Greece and
Turkey to check the spread of
communism was made today by
Senator Connally, Democrat, of
Texas.
The Texan, former chairman of,
the Senate Foreign Relations Com-;
mitt.ee, will follow up t.he strong;
defense of the $400,000,000 program!
delivered yesterday by Senator Van-!
denberg, Republican of Michigan,i
the present committee chairman.;
but he may wait until tomorrow to|
address the Senate.
The House Foreign Affairs Com
mittee continues public hearings on
the issue today, but will be ready to
take the bill to the floor of the
House by the time the Senate com
pletes action, probably next week.
Senate debate may be interrupted;
for .a few hours today by a final
round of arguments on the nomi-|
nation of David E. Lilienthal to:
head the Atomic Energy Commis-|
sion. The Senate has agreed toj
vote at 5 p.m. on Mr. Lilienthal.
Pepper Renews Attacks.
Two Democrats—Senators Pepper,
of Florida and Johnson of Colorado1
-renewed their attacks on the ex-1
tension of direct American assist
ance to Greece and Turkey.
Senator Pepper told reporters the
bill aims a "mortal blow" at the
United Nations. He had previously
indicated, however, that he would
support, the measure on the final
roll call, even if further amend- j
ments fail.
senator Jonnson wery on the air
Last night to call the Cfrcco-Turkish 1
a'd bill a “monstrous proposal”
which would pave the way for giv- 1
ing “huge gobs” of American money
to “any international bandit who
screams ‘communism.’ ”
Senator Pepper favors non-mili
tary relief for Greece, but wants it j
donated through the pooled efforts!
of the United Nations. Senator;
Johnson would require Greece to get
rid of its king before receiving non- j
military aid from this country. He
also would exclude Turkey.
Fears Aggression Everywhere.
Senator Vandenberg warned the;
Senate yesterday that rejection of;
the bill would encourage aggression
everywhere.
“Let’s be plain about it.” he said.
“It is a plan to forestall aggression,
which, once rolling, could snow-ball
into global danger of vast de
(See FOREIGN, Page A^6 ) 1
U. S., Britain Ask
Return of Reich
Lands by Poland
Border Change to Aid
German Agriculture
Opposed by Soviet
By th« Associated Frets
MOSCOW, April 9.—Britain
and the United States proposed
to the Council of Foreign Min
isters tonight a revision In the
present German-Polish frontier
to put agricultural lands inside
Germany, but Russia opposed
any changes.
French Foreign Minister Georges
Bidault proposed that the whole
question be studied further, but he
did not commit France as being in
favor or opposed to present German
boundaries.
Secretary of State Marshall and
British Foreign Secretary Bevin
quoted heretofore secret speeches of
Prime Minister Stalin at Potsdam to
show that the generalissimo did not
consider as final the present admin
istrative Polish border—set at the
Oder and Neisse Rivers by the Big
Three Potsdam Conference.
Both maintained that Mr. Stalin
agrered that the border set at Pots
dam was provisional and would be
settled finally at the peace con
foron no
Special Commission Asked.
Gen. Marshall proposed that the
Council of Foreign Ministers name
a special boundary commission to
recommend a permanent German
Polish frontier.
Russian Foreign Minister Molotov
maintained that Germany's eastern
frontier was fixed finally at Pots
dam and that the peace conference
merely would “formalize” the
agreements made there.
He asserted that the Eastern bor
der revision now in effect had given
back to Poland “the cradle of *the
Polish state.”
Mr. Bevin said that after the last
war many felt that the Polish bor
der had been pushed too far “east
ward” and that there was a danger
this time that the frontier might be
pushed “too far west.”
He cited crowded conditions in
Germany and asked:
“Is it likely to produce peace if
Germany is forced to become a
highly industrialized state, which
reverses the pastoral concept held
during the war?”
Mr. Bevin said the British dele
gation had felt “grave doubts” at
Potsdam in agreeing even provision
ally to placing the German area \
between the East and West Neisse
Rivers in Polish hands.
Wants Coal to Be Available.
The commission proposed by Gen.
Marshall would be composed of the
United States, Britain, Russia and
France,-Vlus Poland and some other
Allied states.
He suggested that the commission
also study measures to assure that
the natural and industrial resources
in question “shall fairly serve” the
economic needs of Europe.
“It will be accepted, I think,” Gen.
Marshall told the conference, “that
Southern East Prussia should be
come Polish territory. German Up
per Silesia and its industrial com
plex should become Polish, but there
should be provisions to assure that
its coal and other resources should
be available to help sustain the
economy of Europe.
me division oi me remaining
territory, largely agricultural land,
requires consideration of the needs
of the Polish and German peoples
and of Europe as a whole.”
Aims to Avoid Continuing Issues.
Gen. Marshall asked a settlement
which would not "provide enduring
ana popular issues for the enemies
of democracy and freedom in Ger
many,” He also urged that the ter
ritorial-solution be not one which
'would create international fric-1
tion."
Poland would not be deprived ofj
compensation for territories lost to
Ihe Soviet Union, Gen. Marshall j
>aid, and “the new frontiers of Po-j
and must, be adequate to give Po-|
and resources at least as great as
ihe had before the war and capable 1
if maintaining her peoples at a
food standard of life.”
(A large area of East Poland |
was incorporated into Russia in
the settlement which gave Po
land former German lands.)
Germany's Needs Cited. j
Respecting Germany's need6, Gen. I
viarshall said:
“German prewar imports of food- j
stuffs provided about one-fifth of ,
the total food consumed in Ger
many. Before the war the Ger-j
("See MOSCOW, Page~A-6.) j
Last Yanks Quit Iceland >
REYKJAVIK, Iceland, April 9 UP)- 1
—The last American soldiers sta
tioned in Iceland were en route home 1
today, thus ending nearly six years 1
of American military protection of 1
this island. !
Thousand Tardy VA Workers
Caught by Check at Entrance
About a thousand tardy employes
were stopped at the doors of the
Veterans Administration this morn
ing as they came to work—anywhere
from one to 45 minutes late.
Begining at 8:15, long lines formed
at the doors of the agency's building
at Vermont avenue and H street
N.W. Personnel heads admitted the
tardy workers, one by one, after
carefully listing their names and
offices.
The tardy check was made after
frequent warnings by Veterans’
Administrator Bradley. It was the
first step, officals said, in an attempt
to stop employes who report for
work late and leave early.
The lines formed again shortly
after 11 o'clock to register workers
going out for lunch. Other checks
will be made as workers return from
lunch and when they leave for home
in the evening, it was said.
Offices were abuaz with talk of
the check. Some office heads said
they were forced to stagger hours,
thereby allowing employes to come
in late because they worked later in
the evening.
Old-timers said the check was
reminiscent of the days of former
Administrator Prank Hines, when,
in the mornings, gates slammed
across all but one entrance to the
building and a loud bell signaled
the start of the day's work.
In those days, they said, bells also
rang for lunch’, rest periods and
quitting time. And each viola tea
had to give in writing his reason for
being tardy. Hie latter became a
part of his permanent record and
the minutes he was late were sub
tracted fTom annual leave.
Omer Clark, chief aide to Gen.
Bradley, refused to «ive an estimate
of the number of workers stopped
today. One official said he was
given the 1.000 figure by a personnel
chief.
Lewis to Reject
Pacts Lacking
Welfare Fund
&
Says Coal Royalty
Must Be Doubled
To Meet All Needs
By James Y. Newton
John L. Lewis said flatly to
day that he would sign no con
tract with soft coal mine owners
which does not include provi
sion for a health and welfare
fund for his mine workers and
that the present “take” of the
fund would have to be doubled
in order to meet all require
ments upon it.
The mine union head made his
remarks at a news conference held
by the three trustees, of which he is
one, of the miners’ welfare fund pro
vided in the Government (Krug
Lewis agreement) contract with the
miners’ union. The other trustees
are Navy Capt. N. H. Collisson, Fed
eral coal mines administrator, and
Thomas E. Murray, New York manu- j
facturer, who was named chairman.
Earlier today the National Coal
Association, representing soft coal
mine owners, accused Mr. Lewis;
of promoting a "deliberate and pre- 1
meditated” strike in defiance of Fed - \
eral courts, as a major portion of the j
Nation's mines remained rinsed I
Benefits Retroactive to June.
The trustees announced that first
payments from the fund would be
$1,000 to the families of all miners
who die either from accident or
natural causes. The death pay
ments, the equivalent of a life in
surance policy, will be made retro
active to June 1 last year when
collections under the fund first
began. Thus the families of the 111
victims of the recent Centralia, 111.,
explosion will be among the first
to benefit.
Mr. Lewis estimated that such
death payments would total $6,
700,000 annually.
Mr. Murray, who is president of
the Metropolitan Engineering Co.
of New York and a director of
Chrysler Corp., said the trustees
would meet again next Tuesday to
organize their administrative staff
and to work out details for pay
ments to distressed and injured
miners.
The fund now totals about $18,
000,000. It is on deposit in a New
York bank to the account of the
Paymaster General of the Navy
and will be transferred to the trus
tees. The fund had not been used
until now because disagreement
over appointment of a third trustee.
The post was given to Mr. Murray.
Five Cents a Ton Levy.
The highly controversial miners'
welfare fund is raised by a levy of
five cents a ton on all salable coal
mined. Secretary of Interior Krug
included provisions fdr the fund in
the agreement he negotiated with
Mr. Lewis last May after the Gov
ernment had seized the mines to
end a 59-day strike.
Refusal of the coal mine owners
to give in to the Lewis demand for
a welfare fund was one cause of the1
long strike.
Mr. Lewis was asked today what
would happen to the fund when the
Government releases the soft coal
mines which it must do June 30
under present law.
"Just to put your mind at ease,”
Mr. Lewis told the reporter. "I will
say that the United Mine Workers
have no intention of signing any
contracts which do not contain
provisions for welfare funds.”
Mr. Lewis went on to say that the
present 5 cents a ton "take” of the
fund “is insufficient to carry out
ill the obligations of the mine
workers—obligations which we orig
inally contemplated when we first
made our demands."
Says Larger Payments Needed.
He said flatly that it would be
lecessary to increase payments to
;he fund to 10 cents a ton in order
o care for ail the cases of death,
njury, hardship and distress among
,he miners.
Mr. Lewis’ latest instructions to
;he miners—to return to work as
juickly as mines are declared in
onformlty with the Federal mine
iafety code—was termed by the mine
>wners as a "deceitful dodge” de
iigned to break up a back-to-work
(See COAL. Page A-fi7i
House Charges Denied
By Conciliation Chief!
By th« Associated Press
Edgar L. Warren, director of thej
Federal Conciliation Service, said ]
today he had never “advocated the <
right of Government employes to
strike.” 1
He also told a Senate Appropria- *
tions Subcommittee that he had be- i
longed to two organizations "desig
nated as Communist fronts” for a 1
few months in 1938 but “withdrew '
from both of those organizations s
early in 1939.”
Mr. Warren left negotiations In >
the telephone strike to appeal to the
Senators to restore $598,400 which j
the House cut from operating funds 1
of the Conciliation Service for the (
1948 fiscal year.
In the same action, the House
eliminated funds for the job of the
conciliator, many of his key officials
and more than 100 conciliation em
ployes. The slash was made by the
House Appropriations Committee
on the grounds that Mr. Warren
had advocated the right of Govern
ment employes to strike and had
once belonged to the Communist
front organizations.
The Senate subcommittee also in
vited Secretary of Labor Schwellen
bach to present his case for a big
ger Labor Department budget to
day.
"We are holding the door wide
open for Secretary Schwellenbach,
said Senator Know land, Republican,
of California, chairman of the sub
committee reviewing the House re
ductions in the department's 1948
budget. The House pared the
spendtag estimate from $31,850,700;
to $18,136,200. 1
/VDuWlNTERFERING^
\1N THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS
)OF GREECE AND TURKEY/ f
V-^-— A-^f ytrrrnTnTiflfi
Advice From an Expert on Internal Affairs
i _
Cabinet Meets on Rising Prices,
But Plans No Action, Ross Says
No Emergency Session, Secretary Insists
After Hour and 40 Minute Discussion
By Joseph A. Fox
President Truman discussed
the problem of rising prices with
his cabinet and top economic ad
visers for an hour and 40 min
utes today, but Press Secretary
Charles G. Ross said later that
no conclusion had been reached
and that “no action was taken
and no action is contemplated.”
Mr. Ross sought to minimize the
importance of the meeting by say
ing that the cabinet was assembled
today instead of Friday, the usual
meeting day, because Dr. Edwin G.
Nourse, chairman of the Council of
Economic Advisors, who had pre
pared the review of the continuing
upward price spiral, had an engage
ment which would not. permit him
to come to the White House Friday.
Some persons, Mr. Ross said,
"seem to have gotten the impression
that this was an emergency or
crisis session” which he said it was
not.
Dr. Nourse, who was a White
House caller yesterday, expressed
concern over the price rise but Mr.
Ross refused to say that he viewed
it as “serious” in the discussion
today.
None of those who took part in
the meeting would comment.
In addition to the cabinet and
Dr. Nourse those who sat in in
cluded John Clark and Leon Keyser
ling, other members of the Council
(See PRICES, Page A-4.)
House Group Accuses
Dennis of Contempt
For Defying Subpoena
Citation Voted After
Communist Secretary
Refuses to Testify
By Robert K. Wolsh
The House Committee on Un-I
American Activities voted unani
mously today to cite Eugene
Dennis, secretary of the pm
munist Party of the United
States, for contempt after he
failed to respond to a subpoena.
The committee also recommended
that he be^prosecuted by the Justice
Department on the more serious
charge of conspiracy to commit con
tempt.
Dennis failed to appear before the
committee this morning in answer
to a subpoena issued by the com
mittee March 26 when he refused to
answer questions about his real
name, age and place of birth. An
eight-page typewritten statement
was offered today by his attorney,
Daniel Lapidus of New York City.
4 But the committee, after hearing
reports by its investigators concern
ing reported false statements made
by Dennis in obtaining passports
and in registering for the draft,
decided to ask the House to cite
lim for contempt, an offense pun
ishable by a maximum penalty of
bne year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Conviction on the charge of con
spiracy to commit contempt, how
;ver, carries a maximum penalty of
;wo years and $10,000.
The contempt citation *will have.
(See UN -AMERICAN, Page A-4.)
3dm Thieves Bind
Lady llchester, 72
By the Associated Press
DORCHESTER, England, April 9.
-Three robbers bound 72-year-old
jady llchester today and stole part
if her large collection of jewels.
Her world-famous string of black
learls, however, was not taken. Rel
ieves estimated the loot was worth
ibout $8,000.
Lady llchester. who had been ill
or two weeks after a heart attack,
intied herself after a two-hour
truggle and summoned police.
I. P. Gregg Is Renominated
John Price Gregg of Oregon was
enominated by President Truman
oday to be a member of the Tariff
commission for a new term expir
ng June 16, 1953.
President to Meet Press
President Truman will hold a news 1
conference at lo:30 am. tomorrow,
t was announced at the White 1
Souse today._-_ 1
Late News
Bulletin
Arms Cut Put on Big 5
LAKE SUCCESS, N. Y. (ffW
The United Nations Commis
sion on Conventional Arma
ments today saddled the five
major powers with foil respon
sibility for working oat pre
liminary world arms reduction
plans.
(Earlier Story on Page A-5.) '
American Farmer Hit
By Collier Off Norfolk;
Vessel's Third Mishap
Salvage Row Raged After
Her Collision 700 Miles
From England in T946
By th« Associated Pros*
§ NORFOLK, Va., April‘9.—The
freighter American Farmer ad
vised the Coast Guard at 9:36
a.m. today that she had been
damaged in a collision with the
large collier Pittsburg Seam 50
miles northeast of Cape Henry
and was “trying to make New
port News.”
She was hit on the starboard side
between No. 4 and No. 5 holds and
was listing 9 degrees to starboard,
the freighter radioed. The collision
occurred off Parramore Banks whis
tle buoy.
The Coast Guard immediately dis
patched a seaplane from Elizabeth
City, N. C.; the cutters Cherokee
and Agassiz from Norfolk, the buoy
tender Speedwell from Chesapeake
Bay and motor lifeboats from the
Parramore and Machipongo lifeboat
stations.
Believed in Fog.
The vessels in collision were be
lieved to be in a foggy area, the
Coast Guard added.
The American Farmer, a ship of
8,258 tons of the United States
Lines which normally carries a crew
of 56, was eh route from Boston to
Norfolk, the Coast Guard said. The
Pittsburgh Seam, of 6,643 tons, is
owned by Eastern Gas and Fuel
Associates, Boston.
Today's mishap to the Ameri
can Farmer is the third to befall
freighter in a little more than eight
months.
Last August she collided with the
freighter William Riddle 700 miles
off Land’s End, England, and a
20-foot hole was stove in the Ameri
can Farmer's port bow.
The ship was abandoned soon
after the collision which occurred
at midnight on a fog-blanketed
sea. The skipper, Capt. Arthur P.
Cronin, said on his return to New
(See FARMER. Page A-4.)
Sweeping Opposition
To Gas Tax Increase
Expressed at Hearing
Bundles of Petitions
Against D. C. Proposal
Presented to Committee
By John W. Thompson, Jr.
A roar of opposition to a 1
cent increase in the District
gasoline tax was heard today
by a Senate-House committee
studying the city’s money-rais
Jos^rE^Keller, executive secre
tary of the District Petroleum In
d us Wes Committee, placed before
the committee bundles of petitions
which he said contained more than
20,000 signatures against the tax
increase.
Additional bundles of petitions
also were added by J. M. Heiser,
president of the federation of Busi
ness Men’s Associations.
Witnesses Oppose Boost.
The petitions were accompanied
by a parade of witnesses including
truckers, cab drivers, automobile
dealers and gasoline station opera
tors, none (ft whom had a good
word to say for the rate boost which
Highway Director H. C. Whitehurst
has testified is necessary to support
the future highway program of the
District.
The committee hoped to dispose
of the gasoline tax witnesses this
morning and to begin taking testi
mony on the proposed sales tax this
afternoon.
Most of the witnesses today based
their opposition on the hardship
a 1-cent increase in the cost of
gasoline would impose on them in
earning a living. Many admitted,
under questioning by Acting Chair
man Bates .they had given no de
tailed study to the highway-im
provement program.
Woman Operator Testifies.
Taxicab witnesses included Mrs.
Lavona Haynes, who owns and oper
ates her own cab. Mrs. Haynes told
the committee she has to work 10
to 12 hours a day to make a living
for herself and her three children.
The tax increase, she said, would
cost her $30 more a year, or the
equivalent of four average working
days. Other witnesses in this group
included C. G. Hathaway, president
of the Veterans’ Cab Association;
Alden T. Keetlng of the Yellow Cab
Co. and four of his drivers.
William E. Humphreys, represent
ing the District Trucking Associa
tion, described Capt. Whitehurst’s
program as “a beautiful nightmare.”
He said the tax was not needed,
and levied against a specific class
for the benefit of the general public.
Mr. Humphreys said he represented
1.400 trucks consuming 3,000,000 gal
lons of gasoline a year.
Price War Threat Seen.
Lad Mills, a gasoline station op
erator, said a leveling off of prices
in the District, Maryland and Vir
ginia might bring about a price war.
"They start in the fringe,” 1» said,
"and spread like grass fire.”
The Virginia tax now is 6 cents
per gallon, and the Maryland levy
i cents per gallon, compared with
the present 3-cent tax here.
Other gas station operators who
testified included F. M. McLaughlin
and Clyde Sorrell.
Stanley Homer, representing the
(See FISCAL, Page A-4.)
Lewis Drops In On Phone Pickets
And Is Besieged for Autographs
In high good humor, John L. Lewis
ippeared at the striking telephone
workers’ picket line in front of the
3. <te P. Telephone'Co., 727 Thir
teenth street N.W., at 9:30 am. to
iay. '
"I just stopped by to give a word
>f encouragement to the strikers
md to refresh my conviction they
ire going to win,” the chief of the
Jnited Mine Workers said.
He was immediately surrounded
jy a crowd of man and woman
rickets asking for the mine leader's
lutograph and anxious to get a look
it him. With a stub of a cigar
damped in his teeth and his hat
pulled down far on his head, Mr.
Lewis autographed 15 or 20 cards
for the strikers. He broke his pencil
jn the first autograph, but calmly,
pulled out a pocket knife and sharp
ened it. He got a laugh from the
pickets when he said, "This is what
[ use over at the United Mine
Workers.”
"I would have had a table put out
here if I'd known I would have had
to sign all these cards,” he said, and
added a moment later in merry
fashion, "I'm not as interested in
you men as I am in these young
ladies.”
A moment later he amused his
audience by saying to a young lady
as he prepared to sign his name to
a proffered piece of paper, "that’s
not a promissory note, is it?”
Picket captains came to the labor
leader’s rescue when his pleas of an
imminent appointment failed to
stop the parade of autograph seek
ers. The captain shooed their
charges back into line with demands
of “give him a break, willya?"
After 15 minutes, Mr. Lewis doffed
his hat, waved it in the air several
““J^caUy back
to his waiting car. An equally in
terested, M less demonstrative, audi
ence of telephone company
and supervisory workers, gathered in
the windows of the company build
ing during the incident.
All Sides Agree
Long-Line Phone
Accord Is Near
No Chance Seen for
Return of Strikers
Before Tomorrow
First signs of & break in the
Nation-wide telephone strike
came today when company and
union negotiators concurred
with Federal conciliators that
agreement is In sight in the key
long-lines workers’ dispute.
But as these weary conferees
resumed discussions at 11 am., there
was a warning not to expect an
immediate termination of the strike
that has tied up a big percentage
of the Nation's long-distance and
manually operated local service
since Monday.
Union leaders emphasized that
any agreement tentatively arrived
at in the long lines dispute would
require approval of the National
Federation of Telephone Workers’
Policy Committee. There will be
no approval unless the way is cleared
for general agreement satisfying
tthe NPTW’s 39 striking units.
Long Night Session Held.
There seemed no chance that the
300,000 strikers would return to
their posts before tomorrow.
When a long night session be
tween the American Telephone <fe
Telegraph Co.’s long-lines division
and the American Union of Tele
graph Workers broke up at 4 am.
today it was learned the dispute
was hung on what form of arbitra
tion would be employed.
On informant said Federal con
ciliators had written a contract for
the long-lines dispute, leaving about
live issues to be arbitrated. Among
them were the demand for a $12
weekly wage increase and other
wage benefits.
John J. Moran, long-lines union
president, said his organization had
nothing to present to the Policy
Committee yet. But when a re
porter asked if the strike could end
in the next 24 hours Mr. Moran
nodded affirmatively.
G. S. Drlng, assistant vice presi
dent of A. T. <fc T.’s long lines divi
sion, said some progress had been
made but ^here are still some im
portant points to be settled.”
Meeting Reset for 3 P.M.
In the face of this optimism, the
NFTWs 49-member Policy Commit
tee rescheduled an 11 am. meeting
for 3 p.m. today, obviously to give
the long lines negotiations time to
reach an agreement which might be
presented to the committee.
Another meeting being watched
here today brought together the
Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. •
and union representatives. There
has been no apparent progress In
this five-state organization since IHpg
the disputants began talking here
last Friday.
in wasmngxon, union readers saia
their membership still was on strike
100 per cent and that morale was
high on the picket lines. More than
3,000 operators, clerical workers and
cafeteria employes of the Wash
ington Telephone Traffic Union, and
upwards of 3,000 accounting, com
mercial and maintenance workers
of the District Federation of Tele
phone Workers are idle. Several
hundred Western Electric and near
by Maryland workers also are out.
Reporting increased efficiency in
handling long-distance calls, the
Chesapeake St Potomac Telephone
Co. said it put through 83 calls be
tween 7 and 8 a.m. today, 59 mors
than in the same period yesterday.
The company said it handled 4,800
calls from 6 ajn. to midnight yes
terday, about double its flrst-day
record.
The company also announced 33
more workers on the job today than
yesterday, bringing the total of non
supervisory workers to 235 and the
total working force to 882.
Many Ordinary Calls Handled.
“Telephone ' users can call any
point in the United States in spite
of the strike,” J. B. Morrison, C. ic
P. vice president, said in a state
ment. He said many calls other
than emergency calls were being
handled!
With more than 40,000 supervisory
workers assisting on traffic depart
ment calls, reports showed more
than four-fifths of the Bell Sys
tem’s 26,000,000 phones were operat
ing on a substantially normal basis,
Mr. Morrison added.
There have been no reports of
breakdowns in the dial system here,
serving 97 per cent of Washington,
and the union said it had heard of
no trouble elsewhere in the United
States, which is equipped 60 per
cent with dial phones.
The C. & P. reported 100 per cent
(See TELEPHONE. Page A-4.)
600 Million U. S. Loan'
Pledged, Korean Says
•y »h« Associated Sress
SHANGHAI, April 9.—Dr. Syng
man Rhee, Korean political leader
who is visiting China at the invita
tion of Generalissimo Chiang Kai
shek, told reporters that President
Truman had promised to make a
1600,000,000 loan to Korea as soon as
a Korean government is formally
recognized.
He said the loan would be brought
up for congressional study as soon as
the bill to aid Greece and Turkey la
DUt of the way. He visited Washing,
ton recently.
Dr. Rhee, who spend long years
of exile in China, said he had no
secret mission in China. After he
has seen Gen. Chiang he said he
would return to Korea to help or
janize a provisional government in
tmerican -occupied Southern Korea.
He predicted the government
would be formed in the near future
‘unless American military author
ties place obstacles in the way.” He
■djjed: "I don’t think they will.”
The government would be organ
®*for Southern Korea “for the
present. Dr* Rhee also said He
mped to initiate negotiations'*!"*
®cwl«t occupation authoritJ** for
control to the north
tnd withdrawal of rum**** force*.